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Julian Assange seeks asylum from Ecuador

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was facing immiment deportation from England to Sweden, has taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and is seeking political asylum, according to wire reports and the WikiLeaks Twitter feed.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Ecuador's foreign ministry confirmed Assange's presence at the embassy. The country seems favorably inclined towards Assange, since it devoted the majority of its statement to comments from Assange.

Assange complained of a "regrettable factual statement of abandonment received by the authorities of my country, Australia, which state that will not defend or even my minimum guarantees to any government and delegated to the constitution of a foreign country that applies the death penalty for the crime of espionage and treason, and the guarantees it offers to its nationals, ignoring the obligation to protect its citizen, who is persecuted politically."

The statement said Ecuador's government "is evaluating the request of Mr. Julian Assange and any decision on it will take into account respect for the rules and principles of international law and the traditional policy of Ecuador to safeguarding human rights."

Assange was a target of a Justice Department-led grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks' disclosure of secret diplomatic cables and military reports. Several prominent U.S. lawmakers called for Assange's indictment in connection with the breach. It's unclear if the investigation into the WikiLeaks founder is ongoing.

However, Assange said in the Ecuadorian government statement that he fears the possibility of capital punishment in the U.S.

The Australian government's statements "make it impossible for my return to my home country and put me in a state of helplessness to be requested for questioning by the Kingdom of Sweden, where its top officials have openly attacked me, and investigated for political crimes in the United States of America, a country where the death penalty for such offenses is still in force," Assange said.

UPDATE: This post has been updated with the Ecuadorian government statement.